This piece first appeared on www.openunionism.com

Sammy McNally is an itinerant Fenian scribbler… and a fictional prod character bestowed upon us by James Young. He has previously written for other blogs such as BangorDub, Three Thousand Versts and Slugger O’Toole. He describes his politics as “Republican lite”.

It is highly likely that Margaret Thatcher’s name will crop up at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, but highly unlikely that any pleasant words will be uttered by any delegates and even less likely that Gerry et al will mention that part of her legacy – support for low corporation tax – that has made its way into SF economic policy.

What will be discussed, of course, will be the hunger strikes, and as someone who supported the hunger strikers I think it fair to say that even from Thatcher’s point of view (which was more or less the same as the majority of Unionist opinion) –. that the hunger strikers had to be defeated and isolated as ‘terrorists’ rather than reconciled  – her policy failed, and the fall out arguably turned SF into a credible political force which in turn perhaps inevitably and eventually led them into government in Northern Ireland.

But Thatcher, the bête noire of Irish republicans, also signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which arguably made peace possible years later. On reflection Nationalists, and indeed Unionists and Irish Republicans, should give her credit for that (although perhaps not publicly). Just as with David Trimble years later with the Good Friday Agreement, Thatcher did the necessary ‘heavy lifting’.

She was a formidable and principled political opponent to Irish republicanism who sought to defend her ‘own’ country against a determined ‘insurgency’ and she played a significant role, both intentionally an unintentionally, in bringing about what seems to have turned out as ‘peace’. She should be viewed in that considered perspective, rather than through the lens of emotional self-indulgence which is bring so over-used by her opponents and detractors.

When we move off Ireland to Britain and the economy, the levels of hypocrisy from trendy, lefty bandwagon-ing ‘socialists’ sitting pretty in post-Thatcher Britain is running on overdrive as they seek to vilify her at the same time as hypocritical Tories (who stabbed her in the back) seek to deify her. It seems there is little chance of Thatcher’s legacy being considered simply on its merits.

So far, a quality debate. Not.

Once again Roy Garland the fifth columnist of Unionism, has raised his head above the Alliance party parapet to denigrate the Loyalist Working Class, for the satisfaction of his gluttonous Republican audience.

By means of his column this week in the Irish News, 12/4/13, he likens the behaviour of the defenders of the National Standard, to the behaviour displayed by the IRA terrorists and Republicans who recently fired a volley of shots beside a Republican mural, and paraded very young Children as mini IRA terrorists.

He denigrates Ruth Patterson, for having the honesty to remind the IRA representatives on Belfast City Council of the IRAs sordid, murderous past.

He praises the woolly headed Alliance party, for producing another one of their totally predictable head in the sand amendments of appeasement, in support of their Republican partners on the council, who had refused to respectfully mark, the barbaric slaughter of the two British corporals David Howes and Derek Woods.

This is the same woolly headed Alliance party, which recently supported the rainbow coloured lighting up of the city hall, to celebrate the flaunting of homosexual behaviour.

It is the same woolly headed Alliance party, which then bizarrely opposed the lighting up of the City Hall on Rememberance day, in honour of the Soldiers who sacrificed their lives to ensure the defeat of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Thereby ensuring that homosexuals would be free to flaunt their homosexuality, without fear of execution.

He questions Christopher Stalford for having the honesty and moral decency to distinguish between, the totally innocent victims of terrorism and victims of their own indiscriminate terrorist activities and support of terrorism.     Roy Garland suggests that, the Loyalists who democratically defied the belligerent British Government in 1912, by unanimously supporting and signing the Ulster Covenant in defence of the democratic right of the Ulster People, to decide their own future, were just as guilty of illegality as the indiscriminate murdering terrorists, who  have sought to usurp democracy by barbaric slaughter.

He then finish’s his attack with a plug for his preferred method of election, the wishy washy , if, possibly, maybe, depends what way the winds blowing, Modified Borda Count, as an alternative to decent, honest, straight forward democracy.

This would then of course mean that, the self-righteous elitists of the Alliance party and Roy Girvan could just ignore the results, when they fail to  correspond with their own self-righteous minority opinion of what we, who they consider to be the ignorant Loyalist Working Class lowest common denominators,  really should have voted for.      Which is exactly the attitude they adopted when, the Modified Borda Count system which was used by the Equality Commission with regard to the Flying of the National Standard, resulted in overwhelming support for the status quo.

Charlie Freel.

In a column in last nights Belfast Telegraph–Thursday 11th April-Gerry Adams–IRA man–former Sinn Fein president and current TD for County Louth, gives an opinion on how governments have failed to honour obligations on crucial issues. His take on the GFA 15 years on is that we have “stable power sharing arrangements and political institutions that are working and continue to enjoy popular support”.  Arrangements being the operative word here.  What we have all these years later is certainly an arrangement–one between the $inners–who beforehand were totally opposed to administering British rule, but obviously dont have a problem now after they have discovered how lucrative it can be–and The Dupe$-who collectivelly would sell their souls to the devil–or highest bidder-an arrangement that is very cosy and will see both sets of lovers tucked up in that King sized bed that is Stormont for the forseeable future.
Adams continues in a similar vein where basically he copper fastens the old tenet”Dont let the truth get in the way of a good yarn”.  On this occasion he would have us believe that the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent events since have given us ” an example of how deep rooted conflicts can be resolved”.  You’re having a laugh Gerry?  What the GFA and its aftermath has delivered to the already beleagured working class areas throughout Northern Ireland is more of the same and in many cases worse doses of it.  Can we honestly say that post GFA that we are less sectarian than we were?  That we are less suspicious of the “other side”?  Flags issues–the perennial parading issues–accusations of discriminatory tactics by ” both sides”–acute polarisation within the working classes–and particularly from protestant/unionist working class claims of being misled by elected representatives and of feeling disenfranchised.  Working class areas throughout Northern Ireland and Belfast in particular are most assuredly no better off than they were a decade and a half ago–despite what Mr. Adams says.  Perhaps if we are told something often enough then we will believe it.  Gerry argues that since the agreement Unionist leadership has sought to minimise the implementation of the agreement whilst republicans have argued for maximum implementation. When it suits Gerry.  He blaims failures of both British and Irish governments to implement certain issues–a Bill of Rights for instance.  For the north of Ireland he says..not Northern Ireland where his party help administer British rule.  And pointedly he also asks that issues such as an independent inquiry into Pat Finucanes death should be addressed along with the abuse of human rights–quoting examples like martin Corey and Marion Price–nut unashamedly leaving out clerical abuse–I wonder why–or the ongoing witch hunt by the HET inpursuit of elderly loyalist ex combatants.  But as always in good stories the best is left to last.  The punch line if you like.  I quote…” But it is in respect of a victim centered truth and reconciliation process that much work still needs to be done”.  Yes..he wants an Independent International Truth Commission set up where governments and ex combatants need to be part of the process.  Their can be no heriarchy of victims he says.  And you know what Gerry?  Virtually every reader would agree with all of these sentiments.  That is if they thought you were genuine and not lying through your bushy beard.  Lead by example on this  Gerry….start telling the truth on matters such as membership of the IRA—your continuing role as a senior figure in the Army Council long after the ceasefires and GFA—your involvement in atrocities like La Mon and Bloody Sunday–your role as chief judge/jury/executioner in the saga of the so called disappeared.  Hold your hands up to the McConville family and tell the TRUTH around the disappearence of their mother over 40 years ago.  Until you do it is highly unlikely that anyone in this country could give any credibility to you even uttering the word.

I was reading some poetry this morning and John Baileys poem The Volunteer urged me to write this little ode and it’s fitting due to the 100^th Anniversary of the Formation of the UVF.

UVF & RHC Volunteers

Its been 100 years since the first falling in

And the call for volunteers did begin

Since then things have changed and conflicts have gone by

Yet still if we’re called we would still prepare to die

Years later the call for support came again

And new volunteers gave their lives without asking for gain

We secretly hope that none of us will fall

And our comrades don’t read our names on a wall

The damned politicians they don’t truly know

About the hurt they have caused in their “Ulster Says NO”

And for our family who can only just sit and pray

Please don’t volunteer please don’t leave us today

They don’t blame us for going as well they might

As the wardens lead us away they promise to write

Comrades reassure family that we will be well

But we all know our family will travel through hell

We never asked for richness for the service we give

Just a nice peaceful Ulster where we all could live

But if this time around Im the one that should fall

Just head round the corner and read my name from the wall

Anonymous